Steve Hossack

Clive Griffiths insists that Doncaster Knights will not have one eye on next week’s B&I Cup final when they entertain Championship rivals Nottingham on Saturday.

“All the players are experienced enough to know how important Saturday’s game is in terms of retaining our place in the Championship,” he said.

“With results going our way last weekend a win against Nottingham would probably be enough to secure our Championship status, were other results to go our way again.

“That would be a great position for the club to be in going into the B&I Cup final against Worcester on Good Friday.”

Griffiths is confident that Knights can take full revenge for a 24-3 defeat at Meadow Lane.

“That was our most disappointing away performance of the season and probably eclipsed the home defeat by Jersey around the same time,” said the Welshman.

“Our discipline contributed to the defeat and our defence also let us down on the day and we fell off tackles.”

Although the Greens remain in contention for the play-offs, their form since the turn of the year has been patchy to say the least.

They had lost five games on the trot prior to last weekend’s crushing home win over second-bottom Moseley, which served to help Knights’ cause as well as helping them reclaim fourth spot from Rotherham.

Knights have still not given up hope of ending the season in the top eight, but wins for Jersey, whose surprise victory over leaders Worcester will no doubt give the Castle Park side a boost, Cornish Pirates and Yorkshire Carnegie will make it harder than if they had held on to their 13-6 lead at London Scottish on Friday instead of being held to a 13-13 draw.

But Griffiths had few complaints about the result in a game Scottish could have snatched at the death with a long drop-goal attempt.

“It’s a tough place to go and they’ve only lost at home to the top two in the league,” he said. “I thought it was probably a fair result.”